Our baby will be grown in a few more months....,Keeper is just the best thing. Ya he is spoiled rotten, yes he digs holes to china no matter how much we tell him not to. Yep he is huge...Yes he sheds hair ALL OVER the house, Yep he drags in enough sand to build a beach inside the house..... 

He also gives love in bazillion gallon sized amounts! He is totally protective of his Mom in a good way :O)... He is the sweetest thing that ever walked on four legs, he is just what his name says

A KEEPER :O) 

Broom Bush just one of quite a few plants we got today!!! ... 90% off! Wooowhooo

We just happen to be at the right place at the right time :O). How often do you get to buy plants at that price LOL ...  $1.30, yep that is right, 3 gallon size pot, nice sized bushes... I bought some other plants as well for anywhere from .49 cents to $1.30 each.  I know its hard to believe and I was there :O)

Canned this morning,

Kumquats in honey ginger syrup! mmmm good

It just amazes me how long citrus will stay good on a tree! I have been picking and eating fresh kumquats since last fall. Isn't that amazing... I have just enough left on the tree to do a small batch of Kumquat marmalade.

 4lbs of Kumquats made seven, 10 oz jars. 

Keeper bumming treats :O)

We are trying the wire cage and hay/straw method this year for potatoes. 

We built these yesterday, put down a piece or hardware cloth wire to keep moles out of them! Put down a good pile of hay every where to help prevent weeds, then put liners inside made from weed cloth, filled with compost. 

As the potatoes make plants I will fill with hay/straw as they grow. The potatoes should make potatoes just all the way up in the hay straw. This is suppose to work :O). When its time to dig we unhook the wire and dump the whole thing on the ground. Easy tator digging for sure.

The three giant black pots honeyman got free from a tree landscaper on a job. These will be for our sweet potatoes! Not time to plant those yet but we got them put in place and filled with compost.

I was so tired last night from shoveling dirt to fill all these I couldn't even think.. That is a good tired  though no? Gardening tired is always a good feeling. Went to bed at 7:40 and slept 12 hours ROFL.

They are all a good 36" plus diameter.

We used left over fencing pieces to build them. 

 

Potatoes scabbing over. I have five varieties to try this year. 2 fingerling varieties, 2 red varieties and 1 russet.

As you can see some of my tators are sprouted heavily. Those are actually some potatoes that someone gave me last year they grew! I saved them for seed potatoes this year as theirs did very well.

My little greenhouse is stuffed full. It has 1 Kumquat, 2 lemon and 1 lime tree in it. I had to move the Avocado tree to the garage to move everything around to fit shelves for seedlings. I will be able to get them out soon as we will be past freezing dates soon.

            

             

Better attitude and fun things :O)

My new to me 1947 Curtis Payton Loom! It is in our garage in these photos as its to heavy for me to help honeyman carry it upstairs. Its been there for about two weeks... With luck someone is going to be at our house this weekend that can help honeyman carry this up the stairs to my sewing room. :O)

  Front

   Back 

Another new to me... not a object but a ability! I can swim! Yes I have learned to swim :O)

I am tickled about this. 48 years old and I can now swim! As you guys know we live in a small rural town.. I have been going to a gym about 30 minutes from me in another small rural town...  They have a salt water indoor heated pool! Talk about a luxury :O).... Its actually a gym that is tied in with a medical facility. They do rehab and such there, but their gym has a lot to offer, the pool, work out equipment, classes.  The public can join the gym just like a regular gym offers. There I have learned to swim and am taking various water classes... This has been so very good for my shoulder/arm! Its almost back to normal!!!! :O)

It takes extra time out of my days being its an hour round trip driving for me, but its worth it.  As you guys know I have struggled with my running due to injuries and then the frozen shoulder in both my shoulders in the last two years. But I really feel like that is all behind me now. I am doing so much better I feel.

At this gym they do a very good fitness assessment on your fitness level, cardio, strength, body fat, weight etc etc... they will do them for you every six months if you like, its included in your membership.

 I kicked butt on the treadmill cardio test. :O). I know that's bragging but I have worked hard to earn those bragging rights :O). I was pleased with my whole fitness assessment, :O) I did good! It really gave me a nice lift in spirits and though yes I have had some set backs the last 2 years, apparently I have been able to hold my fitness level :O). It gave me a lot of motivation :O), I may not be able to do some of what I would like always....but I can do so many other things! Its given me a good attitude about doing what I can do and not focusing on what I can't do...

So if you can't do something, then find something else you can do! 

Conquer something new :O) its a real boost!!

I

Having farm animals, pets or predators is one of the best things and the worst things.
Their lives are in your hands. Having to make the decisions that have to be made on a farm tears at one's soul....

I recently saw this sign on pinterest. It struck a cord with me, I wrote what is below it. 

Keeper, since you guys asked :O)

Hi all Keeper here, my Mom was so touched everyone asked about me! 

Mom and I were organizing the canning jar closet and we decided to get some photos of me for you guys since everyone asked about me :O)....

Mom says if you click on my picture you can really get a good idea of how big I have gotten :O)

I am now one year and 4 months old. I am a big boy for sure. :O). The vet says I will be grown when I reach 2 years old.

My Mom says I am a most handsome fello. I think this is good as my Mom tells me this all the time when she is brushing me or petting me.  I have lots and lots and lots of pretty white hair!

I am VERY smart! I know many things. 

I know what

Sit and Stay mean and how to do them. 

I know what get in your crate means, I will go to my crate from anywhere in the house if I am asked to.

I know what treat means!

I know what goats are :O). Mom and I let them out every single morning and we put them up at night.

I know what the "girls" are, girls are chickens! tee hee

I walk wonderful on a lead....I learned that from Ms. Mikella at rescue, I am a joy to take for a walk.

I come to my Mom from anywhere when she calls ok 99% of the time :O). I get to roam all over here because I can't get off the property. So when we go outside to work I can go look around and play but if my Mom calls I come running, most of the time :O). 

I love other animals :O). I am very sweet natured with them. Even when they are not with me. I don't let that work me up. I figure I scare them as they maybe a tiny little dog and I am huge. So if they act ugly to me I just ignore them or give them my "really you sure you want to go there look" LOL 

It tickles my Mom.  My Mom says I am such a good boy.

I have a girlfriend :O), I see her when we go for walks sometimes. I give her kisses on the face. She is part Great Dane and part something else. She is tall like I am. I gave her kisses the first time we met!. tee hee

Her Dad walks her on our road so we see her a lot when we go out for a walk on our road.

My job is to help Mom, I go out the door every single time she does. No matter where I am I keep a eye on my Mom. My job is to make sure she is okay and I do a good job at that. 

I make it clear if someone comes here that I will not put up with any nonsense where my Mom is concerned. 

I am not at all out of line with it, but I am very clear about the matter.

My Mom and Dad love me lots and lot and lots and that makes for a very happy BIG white dog :O)

I look a bit chunky in this next photo tee hee, I am not at all. I am hairy LOL. Big I am but I am fit as a fiddle.

Mom said ya'll would like to see my tail so here ya go I have a big old fluffy tail :O) Lots of the time I carry my tail up in the air curled over my back :O)

I am in a handsome fella pose here. :O) I do wear a collar and tags all of the time, you just can't see it for all my hair :O)

Mom says we have to get back to the closets now. Bye all and thank you all for asking about me!

Keeper :O)

Honeyman and I are still here. I am still MIA in blog land for the most part.
Time to start seedlings, planted several trays today.

The girls (chickens) are almost grown. We managed to keep all 26 chicks alive! We had one that we weren't sure would make it, but it did.... Then we had one get off her game after they were big but she too is fine.

More seedlings to plant over the next week! Love starting the seedlings!

Puppies and Kittens are popular Christmas gifts. Please think about all that is involved when you commit to a pet. 

Adoption is a great way to find a wonderful furry family member. It also discourages puppy mills and kitten mills.

 If they can't sell them they won't breed them. 

I will be taking a blogging break for a bit (have been already, you may have noticed)  no worries just a lot going on right now :O). I will be back. I have not been able to read blogs either. So I am woefully behind on all you guys. I will get back to blogging land as soon as I can. :O) 

Moved from the apt. to the mansion :O)

Ok you guys put up with one more post as I can't help myself, I promise not to post daily pictures of these guys ROFL... I got the cardboard put in the pen and the water up on blocks. They have full run of the crate and they are loving that. I have it covered in a sheet as we have turned off quite cool. Though in our garage its not very cool as the space heater is still going and the heat lamp is on the crate. Only one of them seems a bit off its game. Not sick but not as perky as the others. 

Keeper says really Mom they are okay but I am way more fun, pay attention to me now! Someone is spoiled rotten :O).  He had his head right down in the bin with them sniffing at them when I had it sitting out while I got the cardboard in the crate, he never touched one of them. He was however quite impressed with the long red feeder and took that LOL. I had to get that back from him :O).

He was pouting as I wasn't paying as much attention to him as the chicks LOL.

 I got some canning jars on clearance aren't they pretty. Its hard to tell but they have little molded handles in the sides of the jars. They are a bit over 10 ounces so a bit different size than your regular Kerr or Ball jar. I did make sure the regular size lids fits them as once I bought some jars that our standard canning lids didn't quite fit. So yep these are good and can be used for years.

 I put a bag inside this one but you still can't see it really good. They have a embossed design on one side the little handles and then the brand name embossed on the other. They are such a cute shape. 

 Its the little things isn't it that are so great. 

They arrived!

6:45 a.m. this morning I got a call from Mona at the post office, my chicks were there! I went right up and got them! For now I have them in a tub in the crate. They just seemed to small to put in that big crate :O).

They were all perky and moving around. 

I wound up putting a space heater in our garage and then the heat lamp on them. A cool front moved in last evening. Our garage is insulated as are the doors so it stays pretty nice in there all the time, but still to the chicks  I am sure it was cool. So I warmed it up with the space heater. The heat lamp will keep them warm as well. 

They are eating and drinking and chirping away.

Keeper wasn't sure what to make of them, he cried.  LOL he wants to stay out there with them but he wants me to stay out there too! So if I come in the house he does too but then he cries to go back out with the chicks. LOL. I told him look fella you can stay out and guard your chicks but I can't stay out there all day too.

In a couple days I will half the crate and put them in half of the crate. I am going to put cardboard around the bottom few inches as was suggested to me as well. :O). 

What are they Mom? In all my 12 months of life I have never seen anything like them! :O)